What Came After
by Chiharu Octavia
Summary: Sort of a sequel to Why Can't We. When Kyou graduated, Akito said he would be locked away in the same cage that held Kazumasan's grandfather for the rest of his life. Is there any way Kyou can avoid his fate? YukixKyou


((This is sort of a little sequel to "Why Can't We." I think it's a logical conclusion, considering Akito would never allow such a romance while he was in charge. You read it, and you decide! Let me know. -))  
  
**What Came After – by Chiharu**  
  
Kyou sat in Shigure's chair at the table, staring at the flickering television screen without seeing it. Some evening sitcom was on, but it was nothing could distract the eighteen-year-old from the fact that three diploma cases sat on the polished wooden surface, next to three teacups and a plate of uneaten rice pastries.  
  
Yuki rested against Kyou's chest, asleep, the rest of him between Kyou's legs, one ankle hooked over Kyou's under the kotatsu. Tohru lay next to them, still in her uniform, her head pillowed on Kyou's thigh. Too preoccupied to change, the three of them had walked home after graduation without speaking. They'd sat down for Tohru's sake, attempted to have tea, and just hadn't gotten up. Now, hours later, tension had taken its toll, and the other two slept the sleep of exhaustion.  
  
There would be no rest for the cat, however. It had been a long day, yes... but it wasn't over yet.  
  
The clock on the wall of the kitchen chimed eleven as a commercial blared loudly from the TV, and Kyou's arm tightened unconsciously around Yuki. Shigure had gone to the Honke in the early afternoon, right after the ceremony. Now it was dark, and he still wasn't back. Kyou didn't dare to think of this as a good sign. Tohru had been smiling almost up to the second she fell asleep, but Kyou just couldn't share her optimism.  
  
"Okaasan..." As if sensing his thoughts, Tohru stirred in her sleep, frowning. Kyou reached out with his free hand, gently smoothing his fingers over her soft brown hair. She sighed and went still, her grip on his pants tightening, but Kyou kept his hand on her head. The thread of panic he'd been trying to ignore all day shot through him again, stabbing at his heart. God, he didn't want to go. He didn't want to leave all this behind, not when it had taken so long to get everything perfect. Everything he loved was here! Every_one_...  
  
"Tadaaaaaima!" The door banged open, and Shigure's voice rang merrily from the entryway. Yuki started violently, sitting bolt upright and staring toward the sound with huge violet eyes.  
  
"Yuki, shh." Kyou slid his arm back around his cousin, palm flat against the heaving chest, and pulled the nezumi close again. "I'm still here."  
  
Yuki resisted, then slowly leaned back against Kyou, his body still tense. He brought a hand up and clutched at Kyou's arm, his expression openly hostile. Tohru, jostled awake by the movement, sat up as well, rubbing sleep from one eye. As soon as she saw the dog she tightened up, completely aware of what his return signified. "Shigure-san," she breathed.  
  
"Konban wa, minna-san!" Shigure chirped. His voice was cheerful, but the mirth didn't reach his eyes. He was angry, and it burned through the mask he was trying to keep in place. The three teenagers on the floor inched closer together, trying to protect each other from what had destroyed Shigure's invincible façade. "This is from your parents, Yuki. Congratulations." Shigure held out a long envelope tied with a cord, but Yuki just stared at him. After a moment, Shigure placed it on the table and straightened up.  
  
"Shigure-san," Tohru said tentatively, "did you –"  
  
"I did." It was almost snapped, and Tohru flinched, her brown eyes wide. Shigure closed his own eyes briefly, putting a hand to his forehead. "Actually, Tohru-kun –"  
  
"Shut up, Shigure." The new voice was soft, but it cut through Shigure's without any effort. The dog fell silent, and Tohru rose to her knees as Akito stepped into the room from behind his taller cousin. The last two years had not been kind to the head of the family. He had always been pale and slender, but now he was too thin, and what had once been delicately white skin was now sallow and paper-dry. Even the androgynous beauty that ran in the family was beginning to desert him. Kureno stood next to him, tall and emotionless, impassively supporting the smaller man.  
  
Akito held onto Kureno's arm with skeletal fingers, as if mocking the too- tight grip Yuki had on Kyou. For once, though, he seemed to be ignoring Yuki. "It's time, bakemono," he said, his eyes gleaming, the words coming slowly as if he was savoring them. "Time for you to come to the Honke."  
  
Nobody moved.  
  
"Kyou-kun, you know our deal." Akito chuckled, and the house seemed to grow darker, colder. "I've got your room all ready. Unless you have something to tell me?" He waited a moment, beady black eyes taking in they boys' embrace until his lips thinned and drew back from his teeth in annoyance. "I thought not. Then let's go."  
  
Tohru stood, her hands clasped imploringly, and took a step forward. "Please, Akito-san, I beg you –"  
  
"Tohru, sit down!" Yuki stretched to grab her, yanking her down beside them. She cried out, falling to her knees, and Akito smiled.  
  
"No, let her speak," he said. He let go of Kureno to step past Shigure, staring at his younger cousins though he was talking to the girl. "Say something, Tohru-kun. Say something clever that will make me change my mind."  
  
Yuki glared at Tohru, warning her to be silent, but she shook her head, her eyes suddenly shiny with tears. "Akito-san, you can't take Kyou-kun away now. He's come so far, and he wants to go to university! He's planning on being a –"  
  
"Tohru, that's enough."  
  
"But Kyou-kun --!"  
  
Kyou didn't look at her either, but it was because he couldn't. He couldn't see her face right now, or he wouldn't be able to go. He and Yuki had already discussed his options, and they'd both come to the conclusion that no matter how they played things out, there weren't any. "Akito won't change his mind. Right, Akito? He hates me."  
  
Akito's smile widened, and he put a hand out, touching Kyou's cheek. "I don't hate you, Kyou-kun. It's not your fault you're a monster. I just want to protect the rest of the family. It's better this way."  
  
"But what if he's beaten me?" Yuki said suddenly. Kyou's arm squeezed Yuki, but the rat ignored it. "What if he's won?"  
  
Akito looked down at Yuki, something dark and unfathomable sliding behind his eyes. "Then he would become part of the family, and you would be locked up instead."  
  
"I didn't beat him at anything," Kyou said sharply. He let go of Yuki and pushed the chair away from the table, standing up so suddenly that Akito stumbled back. "I'm ready. If you want me that badly, we'll go."  
  
"Good." Akito put a hand out to Kureno, and the rooster came forward.  
  
"No!" Yuki scrambled to his feet, stepping in front of Kyou. "Akito, you can't be serious about this! It's barbaric! You can't just put someone in a cage and forget about them!"  
  
The older man's brow darkened, his gaze venomous. "Are you trying to tell me what to do, Yuki? For your sake, I hope not." Yuki seemed at a loss for a moment, and Akito added, "But if you were asking, however..."  
  
"Yuki, we discussed this," Kyou started, feeling fear curl low inside him, but Yuki shook his head, stepping back.  
  
"You're right. We did discuss it." With a last hate-filled look at Akito, he turned his back on the "god," sliding both arms around Kyou's neck. "We discussed it... and we'll figure it out."  
  
"Yuki..." There was nothing to figure out, and Yuki knew it. Kyou couldn't live on his own; there were too many risks. What if he got sick and transformed? What if the bracelet broke? What if either of those things happened in a crowd? The curse had inflicted these dangers, but it had also provided an answer: Hatori. And to have access to Hatori, one had to be close to home.  
  
"I love you," Yuki said frankly, breaking into Kyou's thoughts. His violet eyes held Kyou's red ones, serious. "I love you, and this won't change that. You know that."  
  
Kyou nodded, his heart aching, not trusting his voice. Instead, he gathered Yuki into his arms, crushing his lover's slender form to himself, burying his face in Yuki's neck. He closed his eyes, deeply inhaling his favorite smells: Yuki's shampoo, the clean scent of his skin, the detergent Tohru washed their clothes in. He pressed his fingers against the crisp fabric of Yuki's school jacket, feeling the tight muscles of Yuki's back underneath, and tears pricked his eyes even as the familiar desire washed over him. He kissed Yuki's jaw, his chin, then slid one hand down to feel the swell of his cousin's bottom before he claimed Yuki's soft mouth, kissing him deeply. Tongues slid over each other in a desperate attempt to hold back time, to capture that closeness just once more –  
  
A slap cracked through the room and the two graduates jumped, breaking apart. Akito stood by Shigure, enraged, his palm upraised for another strike. "You knew about this, and you let it happen." Shigure was silent, a scarlet mark appearing on his cheek, his eyes on the floor. "You told me they were fond of each other, but this --! It's disgusting. I won't allow this, Shigure. You've gone too far."  
  
Yuki's hand went to Kyou's, his grip strong as they watched. Akito looked back at them, eyes narrowed, then turned toward the door. "I don't like your attitude, dog," he said over his shoulder. "You've been away from me too long. You're to move back to the Honke immediately. You obviously need closer supervision." He paused as Kureno came over, putting a hand beneath Akito's elbow. "Did you hear me, Shigure?"  
  
"...hai."  
  
"Good. I'll send someone to get your things tomorrow. Kyou. Now." And Kureno helped him out.  
  
Kyou's throat closed up, tears pricking the backs of his eyes again. Refusing to cry, he put out a hand to Tohru. She came to him, tears spilling freely down her face, and hugged his arm as hard as she could. He leaned over, kissing the top of her head, then carefully pulled his arm free. "I'll visit you, Kyou-kun," she cried. "I'll talk to Akito-san. Yuki- kun is right, we'll figure something out."  
  
Kyou didn't answer. She had been his good friend for three years; he didn't want to crush her hope, but he knew all too well there wasn't any. This was it. He moved to kiss Yuki one last time, but the nezumi stepped back, giving a sharp shake of his head.  
  
"This isn't good-bye, baka neko. I'll see you tomorrow. It'll be over soon." Yuki paused as if uncertain he should say what he was thinking, then frowned and said it anyway. "He hasn't got much longer. You'll be free one way or another."  
  
"Right..." Kyou let go of Yuki's hand, and the ache in his heart increased, almost dizzyingly painful. Everything a swirling mess inside of him. He'd thought he'd feel calm when the time came, that he had settled everything and was ready to go, but he wasn't. He needed Yuki next to him, needed that strength to be sure of himself. He didn't want to let go. He didn't want to leave!  
  
"Go on," Yuki said gently. "It'll be okay."  
  
Kyou couldn't speak, and he had to force himself to look away. He looked apprehensively at the door, blinking as he noticed the dog still standing by the wall. Shigure hadn't moved, but he was watching them, his eyes almost burning. Kyou stared back, surprised at the intensity of his older cousin's gaze. "Shigure..."  
  
The author quickly looked at the floor again, smiling thinly. "Gomen, Kyou- kun. He won't listen to me anymore. I tried, but not hard enough."  
  
The self-loathing was so thick it was almost palpable. Kyou frowned, finding in Shigure's hatred the strength to walk forward. He went to the door, touching Shigure's arm briefly as he went by. Shigure was a manipulator, but he'd tried hard to keep the boys' relationship a secret. If for nothing else, Kyou owed him for the two years he'd been able to spend with Yuki in this house. This little house... And in the end, it hadn't been Shigure that had failed Kyou, but time.  
  
"Tomorrow, I guess," Kyou joked weakly, and he put his shoes on and went out to the black car crouched at the end of the walk. The door opened, and he climbed inside.

((To be continued...))


End file.
